Working remotely has become extremely common over the last couple of years. Many companies have remote workforces for the first time in their history, and this can present many challenges as new processes and technologies must be implemented.
If you own or run a business with a remote workforce, these tips may help streamline your procedures and make your remote workforce more effective.
Get Quality Video Conferencing Software
Many businesses have a habit of jumping from platform to platform. When you constantly change the video conferencing software you use, it results in your remote workforce never gaining a high level of comfort and familiarity with the software.
Whether you choose Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams, make the decision and stick with it unless there’s a very good reason to switch. Remember, familiarity leads to efficiency.
Focus on Cybersecurity
One of your biggest concerns with running a remote workforce should be the security of the network your employees are using. After all, when you have a remote workforce your sensitive company data and proprietary information is being accessed and transmitted over employees’ home networks.
To mitigate the risk of data breaches and loss of sensitive data, you may want to consider implementing a Zero Trust security framework to help protect against these threats.
What is Zero Trust? In a nutshell, Zero Trust architecture limits access to sensitive data and continuously assesses risks. This is an ideal security architecture to consider for your remote workforce as it can be implemented on both local networks as well as in cloud environments.
Utilize Project Management Software
Staying organized and on track with your projects can be difficult enough when everyone is on-site. This challenge is amplified even further when you are managing a fully remote workforce. Tracking projects with email and spreadsheets just doesn’t cut it when you’ve got a staff of employees working from home.
If you’ve never used project management software in your business, this may be the time to consider adding it to your workflow. This will significantly simplify the planning, tracking, and management of your projects and keep everyone on board with the progress.
Trello and Asana are two of the more popular options for project management and are both work checking out to see if they are a fit for your organization’s needs.
Consider Budgeting for Equipment
Depending on the type of work your employees are engaged in, they may need high-quality equipment that they simply cannot afford to provide on their own.
When putting together your budget, having a remote workforce may require you to build in the cost of new laptops, webcams, headsets, and other equipment. If your employees are left to provide their own equipment, they may not be able to afford the quality that is required to efficiently perform their duties.
While this may be a costly investment, it is likely being largely offset by all the savings you see by not providing on-site amenities.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
Managing a remote workforce provides new challenges to many business owners, but by investing in the right technology such as video conferencing software, project management software and computer equipment for remote employees you can be sure that operations will run smoothly and efficiently.
Further, it’s critical to make sure you’re paying close attention to cybersecurity to mitigate the increased risks of your sensitive data.
